This invention relates in general to a heat pipe device, and in particular to such a device for use in solar radiation collectors.
A heat pipe transfers and distributes heat by vaporisation and condensation of a working fluid which is employed as a heat transfer medium. A principal feature of a heat pipe is that the energy required for the flow of the liquid and the vapour in the device, in the presence of gravity, is completely provided by the heat source, so that no external pumping means is needed.
Solar radiation collectors are intended to convert solar radiation into heat in the working fluid and to transfer the heat, with the maximum possible efficiency, to a secondary heat transfer fluid, which may be water or air, for example. The use of heat pipes in solar collectors is already known from my British patent number 2023804 and from my British Patent application number 2023803, for example.
A heat pipe conventionally comprises an evaporator element and a condenser element interconnected by means of a conduit, the condenser being placed in use above the evaporator. When the device is cool the working fluid collects in the base of the evaporator. When heat is supplied to the evaporator, the working fluid begins to vaporise and moves up into the condenser, where the heat is removed from the vapour, the vapour then condenses and falls back into the evaporator under the force of gravity.
The heat is usually removed from the vapour by positioning the condenser in a manifold through which heat transferring fluids are passed. It is desirable to provide efficient heat transfer from the condenser to the heat transferring fluid circulating through the manifold and to have a small thermal resistance between the condenser and the heat transferring fluid. The condenser should be designed to be appropriate to the output of the heat pipe.
Preferably, a solar radiation collector should be easily assembled from its component parts, and the parts should be easily replaceable.
If heat is not removed from the condenser, or it is not removed at a high enough rate, the condenser will overheat and the device or system may be damaged. Safety measures therefore have to be included in the device or system to prevent this. It is desirable to devise a means whereby the maximum temperature of the condenser may be limited to a chosen temperature T.sub.o. This can be achieved if the working fluid is collected in the condenser compartment when the condenser reaches the limiting temperature T.sub.o, rather than allowing the fluid to return to the evaporator. As a consequence, if heat continues to be applied to the evaporator, it gradually dries out and all the working fluid is held in the condenser, so that heat transfer between the evaporator and the condenser is interrupted.
International Patent Application number W087/07003 describes a heat pipe in which, during normal operation, the condensed working fluid is drained or diverted back into the evaporator to continue the cycle of heat transfer, but if the condenser temperature goes above T.sub.o, regulating means are provided for collecting the condensed working fluid in a chamber whereby the fluid cannot return to the evaporator. The regulating means comprises a valve controlled by a means made from a shape memory alloy, the alloy being arranged to alter its shape when it reaches the limiting temperature T.sub.o.
The regulating means of W087/07003 requires a relatively large force to operate the valve in order to guarantee a proper seal when the valve is in its closed position. Furthermore, the valve needs to be precisely machined and fitted to ensure a good seal, and the sealing surfaces may be susceptible to damage during use. Thus a heat pipe employing this regulating means is difficult and expensive to produce.